Date:         Wed, 22 Nov 1995 05:13:04 -0600 (CST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Beatty <danb@sound.net>
Subject:      Re: Dashboard disassembly

At 07:40 PM 11/21/95 -0600, you wrote:
>  Check your cable out carefully by pulling off the lever knobs and the fan
>knob.  Then pry off the cover plate by sliding to one side a bit.  I would
>bet that your cable has broken off near the lever, about in front of your
>face, where there is a sharp kink. Usually the wire has kinked itself
>elsewhere from binding when you pushed, it breaks at the nice sharp kink VW
>put in when they made it, hmmm...

You're right here, the break is the symptom not the cause.

>          If you can see the culprit, you may be able to do a splice job,
>small brass tube over both bits of 'cable' (actually a fat single steel
>strand) get a good soldering iron, flux, and bleed the solder into the
>joint, watch where it drips!  I have NOT done this please note.

The temp required to solder a sleeve on will damage the outer housing unless
you use sometype of clamp on heat sink.

>  Or you may be able to rig a new cable end on using a piece of wire looped
>through the lever and overlapping the existing bit.  Make a small clamp by
>drilling a 1/8" hole through a smallish bolt next to the head.  Stuff the
>two new and one old bit of wire through the hole in opposite directions, add
>a washer and nut, then tighten and you are done.  This is of course
>adjustable.  I HAVE done this fix, it works fine.  Works on heater box
>control flaps those those who heat with air and other gasses.

Good idea here. You might want to consider using two of these "clamps" so
that the cable does not buckle. I haven't looked at this too closely but I
am a little doubtful if there is enough room for either of these repairs
--boo hoo--.

>        The $390 is four+ hours VW labour for dash re/re, it'll take you 6-8
><g> so figure on a weekend if you are going in.  Free advice, lube the
>blower fan motor if you are in there, they seem to have around a 6-7 year
>life before they start to howl. In fact lube everything you see that moves!!
>Especially the heat control cables!

I would love to get $390/4hrs <g>. Do it yourself, you'll be proud when
you're done and if anything goes wrong again you can either fix it yourself
or be at more of advantage when dealing with "professionals".

>
>Big, green, spelled B-E-N-T-L-E-Y,  takes a wad of green to purchase too,
>$60-90, you have no other choice, and it will pay for itself, eg:$390<g>.

Great suggestion!!